“Man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills”
— Arthur Schopenhauer
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Simplified Meaning:
People can choose to act based on what they want, but they can't choose what they want in the first place. This means that while you can decide to go after your goals, your desires themselves are not something you choose; they come from deeper within you. For instance, if you really love painting, you might decide to paint every day, but you didn't choose to love painting—it's just a part of who you are. Understanding this can help you focus on acting on your true passions and interests instead of trying to change them. It reminds us that our deepest desires and motivations are not always controllable, but what we do in response to them is within our power. So, by embracing what we genuinely care about, we can make more fulfilling choices.
Related tags
Autonomy Choice Determinism Existentialism Free will Human nature Philosophy Predestination Schopenhauer VolitionFEATURED QUOTES
